The news came while Lord Kernes and I were in the sitting room playing chess after dinner.
“L-Lord Kernes, a messenger just arrived by horse… L-Lord Frank has… collapsed suddenly… h-he has passed away!”
“What… what are you saying? My brother…!”
The words from the butler were an unexpected and devastating blow. Without delay, Lord Kernes and I rushed to the main estate.
The mansion was deathly quiet, with the sound of muffled sobbing echoing through the halls.
In the bedroom, Lord Frank lay peacefully, as if he were merely sleeping.
“Brother…”
Lord Kernes’s shoulders trembled.
Quietly, I left the room to give him a moment alone.
It seemed Lord Frank had clutched his chest and collapsed just before dinner, never regaining consciousness.
The shock had left the entire family devastated. Lord and Lady Palermore had shut themselves away in their chambers, and my sister-in-law, Diana, had fainted from the news.
Little Utrecht sat with his knees hugged to his chest outside his mother’s room.
“Utrecht, do you remember me?” I knelt in front of him and spoke gently.
“…Lady Kratis.”
His red, swollen eyes, likely from crying, were heart-wrenching to see.
“Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?” I asked.
He shook his little head.
“…No. Mother hasn’t eaten either.”
“Your mother is resting now. When she wakes up, we’ll make sure she eats. But you need to eat too. If you don’t, everyone will worry about you,” I said softly.
“…Kr… Kratis… sis… my… my fa…ther… he’s…”
Tears poured down his big eyes as he broke into sobs.
“Utrecht…”
I held his small body in my arms. How much must Frank have regretted leaving behind his wife and child like this?
“Thank you for marrying my foolish younger brother! I’m so grateful!”
The memory of Frank’s tearful, joyful words on our wedding day came to mind. Holding Utrecht close, I could only cry along with him.
◇◇◇◇
A month had passed since the funeral.
Diana had started eating small amounts of food but was still bedridden.
Utrecht, meanwhile, had begun waking up in the middle of the night crying.
Concerned for them both, Lord Kernes visited the main estate almost daily, often staying the night.
Even though he must have been grieving himself, he couldn’t turn his back on Diana in her vulnerable state.
However, whispers had begun to circulate.
“Is it really necessary to visit every day, no matter how concerned he is?”
“She’s Lord Frank’s wife, not even blood-related to him.”
“Isn’t it inappropriate for him to stay overnight so often?”
I wondered if Lord Kernes was aware of these rumors. Even if he was, I knew he wouldn’t abandon Diana, who was physically and emotionally weakened by Frank’s death.
Today, I accompanied him to the main estate to pay our respects.
◇◇◇◇
“Your sister-in-law has only just fallen asleep,” the maid informed us.
“Then it would be unkind to wake her. I’ll leave these flowers with the maid. May I go see how Utrecht is doing?” I asked.
“Yes. I’ll speak to the doctor first, then join you with Utrecht,” Lord Kernes replied.
“Understood.”
With a maid guiding me, I made my way to Utrecht’s room. Lord and Lady Palermore lived in the eastern wing, far from here.
Though we were on the same property, the independent buildings allowed me to avoid encountering my father-in-law. Still, I wondered how my mother-in-law was faring. According to Lord Kernes, she spent her days doing very little.
“Lady Kratis!”
“Good day, Utrecht,” I replied as the small boy ran into my arms.
His expression was still somber, and I heard he was waking up in the middle of the night, but at least he seemed to be eating. That alone was a relief.
After reading him a picture book and playing some games, Utrecht eventually fell asleep. I carried him gently to his bed, hoping the time together had brightened his spirits, even a little, before leaving the room.
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